Author: Bella Marello
Image taken by Bella Marello NORMAL, Ill. – Normal Town Council extended an emergency declaration and initiated the zoning of a battery energy storage system. An emergency meeting was called by the Town of Normal to address continued local disaster emergency proclamation authority, following the tornadoes Bloomington-Normal saw on Friday. At this meeting at 6:55 […]
Image from Connect Transit, showing the planned building. BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington City Council approved the start of construction for a Connect Transit transfer station. Senior Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus walked the council through the Connect Transit ordinance. “This project replaces the Front Street, which is really a bus stop, with a facility […]
Image taken by Bella Marello NORMAL, Ill. – The Normal Town Council unanimously approved a new code of ethics on Monday, marking what supporters called a step toward rebuilding public trust in government. The code was first proposed in February by former McLean County Board member and community activist Barbara Stuart, who urged council members […]
Image courtesy of McLean County NORMAL, Ill. – Voters cast 13,614 ballots in the Illinois primary election in McLean County, out of 62,078 registered voters. In the city of Bloomington, 10,688 ballots were cast out of 52,315 registered voters. The unofficial results for McLean County are as follows: Federal U.S. Senator Don Tracy (Rep) […]
Image taken by Bella Marello NORMAL, Ill. – The community urged the Normal Town Council to do what it can to stop Glenn Elementary School from closing. The council stood with the community. McLean County Unit 5 School District is proposing the closing and repurposing of Glenn Elementary School to serve as the 18-22 transition […]
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The City of Bloomington is kicking off its budget season with a preview presented at Monday’s City Council meeting. The proposed budget totals about $370.5 million, a 6.8% increase from last year. It includes a 38% increase in the capital budget for infrastructure projects and […]
Image taken by Bella Marello NORMAL, Ill. – Discussion over relocating Normal Fire Department Station 2 continued at the Normal Town Council meeting Monday. The town previously presented data showing no major change in fire response times if the station is relocated, emphasizing a four- to six-minute response time goal. The Associated Fire Fighters of […]
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington City Council discussed and voted on an action proposing the purchase of new handguns for the Bloomington Police Department. Ward 7 Council member Mollie Ward pulled the item from the consent agenda to amend the action. Ward’s amended version of the item failed, […]
Image taken by Bella Marello NORMAL, Ill. – Town officials told the Normal Town Council Monday that relocating a fire station would not slow emergency response times, presenting GIS-based data that sparked an intense and detailed debate among council members over how fire coverage is measured and planned. On Monday, Feb. 3, a team of […]
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – After hearing impassioned testimony from residents on both sides, the Bloomington City Council approved a citywide ban on kratom during its Monday meeting. Ward 2 Council member Michael Mosley introduced the ordinance and urged his colleagues to support the amendment. “This ordinance comes from a […]